Learning from our mistakes

Do you remember your past mistakes? Do you feel upset when you recall a blunder you made? Do you regret something you said or did?

For example, at work, your team worked hard on a project, but due to an oversight, a vital part wasn't completed. Instead of commending the team, you highlighted that one mistake. Your team was distraught and remained distant for a long time after that.

At home, you had a gathering, and everyone was happy to be there. You made a small error in judgment by scolding a 5-year-old for his mischievousness. The boy’s parents got upset and left your party. The celebration was over.

In life, we often act unconsciously. Our behavior isn't always favorable, but we believe we are doing the right thing at the moment. Learning from our past behaviors, failures, and mistakes is crucial for a satisfying and happy life. Similarly, knowing what makes us joyful, creative, and positive is equally important.

Our mind does not have any concept of time. If we choose, our mind can immediately take us to any memory in the past, recalling the sights, sounds, and feelings as if it's happening now. We often make the mistake of reliving our emotions and feelings associated with negative experiences. This can prevent us from gaining the wisdom and learning we could otherwise obtain.

Our mind is powerful enough to visualize ourselves as a second or third person. We can choose to see ourselves in a mirror or a picture frame, or even imagine watching ourselves from 5-10 meters away.

The benefit of this type of memory recollection is that you become detached from the emotions experienced at the time. Without the associated feelings, any negative experience in the past becomes an opportunity for unbiased learning.

The wisdom gained from dissociated memories and detached negative experiences is pivotal to our behaviors and future learning. The fact is, we always learn from our past when we dissociate from our emotions, but most of the time, this happens unconsciously. We now have the opportunity to practice this technique deliberately.

Understanding that our honest mistakes are the best opportunities to learn and grow is the only way we can learn from them.

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